A small suggestion
I get a lot of ineffective pitches from classical music publicists. In fact — sad to say — I think most of the pitches I get from classical music publicists aren’t very strong. … read more
AJBlog: Sandow Published 2016-06-29
Progress Report With Guitar Accompaniment
Not to bore Rifftides readers with internet trivia, but two more days of extended conversations with Apple technicians seem to have led us out of the digital black hole that captured us for a few … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2016-06-29
This Week in Audience: The Latest Fronts On Understanding Who’s Paying Attention
Is social media communication, marketing, art, or all three? … The perils of market research when it drives your art … The latest front on artists’ war on cell phone use … How NPR discovered a ton of information about its listeners … How the internet is changing our perceptions of the world. … read more
AJBlog: AJ Arts Audience Published 2016-06-28
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Author: Matthew Westphal
How Should We Respond To Evil? Destroy It? (Good Luck With That)
“Recent history and philosophy have taught that violence is the surest outcome of blithely ascribing the quality of evil to another. At best, this process may supplant the thing we brand evil for a time, but the notion that evil can be ‘destroyed’ is an ethical version of a fool’s errand. “
How ‘Phubbing’ Went From Rudeness To Normal Behavior
“People are phubbed, but they are also phubbers. In an environment where people are constantly switching from being the protagonists and recipients of this behavior, our data suggests that phubbing becomes seen as the norm.”
The Hong Kong Booksellers Who Were Kidnapped By Chinese Police: A Follow-Up
“Five booksellers from Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay Books disappeared in 2015, of whom Lam [Wing-kee] was the fourth to reappear (leaving only one, Swedish citizen Gui Minhai, still in PRC custody). … Reactions since Lam’s release have been mixed. On June 17, he led thousands of protestors through the streets of Hong Kong.” But the three others who were held and have been released have accused Lam of lying.
An Algorithm Says This Book Should Be The Ultimate Bestseller (So Why Didn’t It Make Any Bestseller Lists?)
“The algorithm looks at themes, plot, character, setting, and also the frequencies of tiny but significant markers of style. The ‘bestseller-ometer’ then makes predictions, picking out which specific combinations of these features will resonate with readers. The authors claim that it is correct ‘over eighty percent of the time’.” But the only book to score 100% from the algorithm has had only middling sales.
ISIS Destroys Another Ancient Assyrian Temple
“The destruction of the Temple of Nabu in the Assyrian city of Nimrud in northern Iraq by the Islamic State has been condemned by UNESCO and a leading UK archaeologist. As part of its propaganda campaign, the jihadist group issued video footage earlier this month that appeared to show part of the ancient archaeological site being blown up.”
World’s Oldest Working Photo Studio Closes After 176 Years
“Bourne & Shepherd, named for its founding British photographers, Samuel Bourne and Charles Shepherd, officially closed earlier this month, following its last owners’ loss of a 14-year legal battle over the company’s sole space, a building in Kolkata’s busy Esplanade area.”
‘Angels In America,’ The Oral History – How Tony Kushner’s Play Became The Defining Work Of American Art Of The Past 25 Years
“Twenty-five years ago this summer, Tony Kushner’s Angels in America premiered in the tiny Eureka Theatre in San Francisco’s Mission District. Within two years it had won the Pulitzer Prize … Slate talked to more than 50 actors, directors, playwrights, and critics to tell the story of Angels‘ turbulent ascension into the pantheon of great American storytelling – and to discuss the legacy of a play that feels, in an era in which gay Americans have the right to marry but still in many ways live under siege, as crucial as ever.”
The Beat Goes On: Lawrence Ferlinghetti And Sterling Lord, Still Friends And Business Associates As They Approach 100
“The partnership between Mr. Ferlinghetti and Mr. Lord, two towering legends in the publishing world, traces back to the heady, early days of the Beat movement … Though neither of them can recall precisely when they first met, their long association dates from the 1950s, when they became acquainted through Jack Kerouac, one of Mr. Lord’s first clients.”
A New All-Women Orchestra, Playing Only Women Composers
The Allegra Chamber Orchestra, based in Vancouver and open to musicians who identify as women, gave its first performance this week. (includes audio)